Extension - Machu Picchu

Tomorrow is the last day of our trip, just as it is the last day of the school year!! We started our trip in the dessert and then went to the rainforest. The last four days we have spent in the Andes Mountains. When you travel to places of high elevation, you have to be careful about getting altitude sickness. This week we have been at altitudes ranging from 9,000 ft. to 12,500 ft. Minneapolis is around 800 ft. above sea level.

Below are some pictures of the highlights from this week. Monday we visited a place were we learned how the Peruvians make and dye wool. Later that night we took a tour bus through very narrow streets and around sharp corners (I don’t know how the driver did it!) to Yucay. Our guide stated that Yucay is one of the last pure Inca villages left. The people there were very excited to see us and had all of their textiles and handmade crafts displayed for sale. We brought them oranges because they do not have easy access to oranges and need the Vitamin C.

Tuesday and Wednesday we visited Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu was built by the Inca and discovered by Hiram Bingham (an American) in 1911. It is an amazing site to see. The stonework is incredible. The Inca shaped the rocks using harder rocks. A lot of times they did not even use mortar to hold the rocks together.

Today and yesterday we have been in Cusco, visiting several historical sites. I have learned a lot about the beliefs of the Inca and Andean people and how their lives were changed when the Spanish invaded Peru.

Thank you again for following my blog. It makes my trip more meaningful to be able to share the things I am learning and seeing with all of you. Reading your responses has been a lot of fun! I hope you all have a great summer!

:)

Mrs. Bidler

p.s. Once again, the pictures that go with this blog entry are in a mysterious place. You will find them below the group of small pictures - so scroll down and take a look!

Amazon Voyage

Below is information about the Amazon Voyage portion of our trip. I'm not too savy at this blog thing, so that is why it is out of order.

Pre-voyage extension

Well, I finally have a moment to write. We have been going non-stop since we arrived in Lima. Wednesday we spent most of the day in flight to Peru, settling into our hotel at midnight. Our wake-up call was at 5:30 am on Thursday and we were on the road by 6:15 am. We thought that was bad, but my sister had it far worse. Her flight (from China) was delayed twice so she ended up arriving at 5:30 am on Thursday - resulting in two nights without sleep!

On Thursday we traveled by van from Lima to Ica - going along the west coast of Peru. There are three natural terrains in Peru - rainforest, mountains, and the coast which is dessert. Lima only receives 2 inches of rain per year, so these last couple of days we have seen a lot of sand and little vegetation. It is hard to imagine that there is a rainforest just east of the mountains.

In Ica we visited a vineyard and learned about the traditional way in which Peruvians make wine. Nearby was an elementary school and the children outside were very friendly and excited to see us (unlike the middle school students we drove by today - one of them giving us the finger...Referral!!)

Next we flew in a small plane over top the Nazca lines. These designs were constructed by the Nazca Indians (using fist-size rocks) and stretch over 135 miles of dessert. They were undiscovered for 1000 years, until airplanes came around. There are only speculations as to the meaning of the designs (a calendar, a way to communicate with the Gods?).

On the tail end of the flight we found out why the tour guide had made us wait to eat lunch when my mother ended up vomiting due to the turbulence. :0

After lunch and a museum tour (see the pictures of the mummies and the explaination for why they are so well preserved) we went to the town of Paracas to stay the night.

Friday morning we took a boat out to see the "Candelabro" (see picture) and a small group of islands and large rocks called the Ballestas. On the islands were an incredible number of sea birds - at least a million. No one lives on the islands, but the waste from the birds left on the rocks (called guano) is exploited for fertilizer. When the locals discovered how great of a fertilizer guano makes most of the islands were raked clean - lowering the height of some by 100 feet!

We also saw sea lions on the island. We caught a glimse of the big papa seal lion when he came out from the cave and let out a loud angry cry. He must have been 500 pounds!

Next we visited a natural reserve on the pennisula by Paracas - getting beautiful pictures of the cliffs and ocean. Then we had another 4 hour drive back to Lima.

I have to head out to dinner. Here the meals are very late - except for breakfast, which is too early! :)

More later~

Mrs. B.

4 weeks in counting!

Four weeks from today we'll be flying to Lima, Peru to start our Amazon trip. Internet access will be limited (though we're planning to have a satellite phone and laptop), so we'll post as often as possible.

This trip happened to fall on the last two weeks of the year, at the school in which I work. The plan is to have the students learn some about the Amazon while I travel there. So this blog will serve as a way to keep in touch with them (Hey MLA students!!), as well as our friends and family back home.

There's lots to do in the next four weeks, so I better run...

Sara